Mehandipur Balaji Temple [1] (Devanagari: बालाजी मन्दिर) is a Hindu temple located in Mehandipur, Dausa district, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The temple is dedicated to the deity Hanuman. The name Balaji refers to the childhood form of Hanuman, revered in several parts of the country. Unlike similar religious sites, it is located in a town rather than the countryside. Its reputation for ritualistic healing and exorcism of evil spirits attracts many pilgrims from Rajasthan and elsewhere.[2][3]
| Mahendipur Balaji Ji Temple | |
|---|---|
 Idol of Hanuman at the main shrine | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Hinduism |
| District | Dausa |
| Deity | Hanuman |
| Location | |
| Location | Mahendipur |
| State | Rajasthan |
| Country | India |
  Location in Rajasthan  Location in India | |
| Geographic coordinates | 26°56′N 76°47′E / 26.94°N 76.79°E |
| Website | |
| https://shribalajimehandipur.org/ | |
The temple is famous worldwide. It is claimed that thousands of years ago Hanuman, in the form of Balaji, appeared there. This is one of the reasons for it being a pilgrimage place.
It is believed that by visiting the temple and having the darshan of Shri Balaji Maharaj, various mental and physical disorders along with all kinds of sufferings can be cured. As a result, a large number of devotees and pilgrims from all over the world visit the location throughout the year.
Apart from being a pilgrimage site, the temple also partakes in social services. Many service and aid programs are run by the temple authorities in fields like education and health. Apart from this, the temple trust conducts numerous social and charitable works under the banner "Temple Trust" for social welfare, development of women and children, and aid to malnourished children. The temple trust also provides assistance for such works.[4]
Research
editIn 2013, an international team of scientists, scholars, and psychiatrists from Germany, The Netherlands, AIIMS, and the University of Delhi started a study to evaluate all aspects of the treatments and rituals taking place at the temple.[5][6]
Notes
edit- ^ "Official Website of Temple". Ghata Mehandipur Balaji Trust. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Gold 1990, p. 278
- ^ Kakar 1982, pp. 53–88
- ^ "Charitable and Social Works". Ghata Mehandipur Balaji Trust. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Mehandipur Balaji Temple of Rajasthan: International team searching source of magical healing power near Dausa". Daily Bhaskar. 26 June 2013. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Mahendipur Balaji Temple: নিজের উপর ঢালতে হবে ফুটন্ত জল! মুক্তি পেতে মন্দিরের মধ্যেই আজও বাস 'তেনাদের'". The Bengali Chronicle (in Bengali). 9 July 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
References
edit- Dwyer, Graham (2003), The Divine and the Demonic: Supernatural Affliction and its Treatment in North India, Routledge, ISBN 0415297494
- Gold, Ann Grodzins (1990), Fruitful Journeys: The Ways of Rajasthani Pilgrims, University of California Press, ISBN 0520069595
- Kakar, Sudhir (1982), "Chapter 3: Lord of the Spirit World", Shamans, Mystics and Doctors: A Psychological Inquiry Into India and Its Healing Traditions, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0226422798
- Satija JJHU, D. C.; Singh, D.; Nathawat, S. S.; Sharma, V. (1981), "A psychiatric study of patients attending Mahendipur Balaji Temple", Indian J Psychiatry, 23 (3): 247–250, PMC 3012952, PMID 22058548
External links
editShri Mehandipur Balaji Official Website https://shribalajimehandipur.org/(in Hindi)